Today’s Hearing On War Crimes

Things to keep in mind as news emerges of the closed-door Congressional hearing with Vice Admiral Frank Bradley, commander of SOCOM, and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

SOCOM is the United States Special Operations Command. Bradley is a former Navy Seal. SOUTHCOM is the United States Southern Command, responsible for operations in South America. Admiral Alvin Holsey, who retires at the end of this year, is the commander of SOUTHCOM.

Emphasis has shifted to the second strike of the first attack, alleged to have killed two men clinging to wreckage from the first strike. That is likely a crime, but it’s not the only one. The entire campaign of blowing up boats off South America is likely a crime. Drug trafficking is a civil crime, not a military matter. The Coast Guard has been intercepting drug boats for years and charging traffickers. No war has been declared, except in Donald Trump’s rapidly deteriorating mind.

Quotes from Trump show that he gave instructions to hit the boats, and perhaps to ensure that there are no survivors. As Pete Hegseth desperately tries to throw Admiral Bradley under the bus, and Trump throws Hegseth, keep in mind that orders for this illegal murder campaign came from Trump. That does not exonerate those who transmitted or carried out the orders.

I’ll leave the distinctions among premeditated murder, war crimes, and crimes against humanity to the lawyers. Some of them are saying it can be all of the above. Don’t get wrapped up in arguing which it is. There are plenty of charges to choose from.